814. IHE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA. 



Department of Panama is almost entirely" along- the divide Ijetween the 

 Atrato River and the watershed draining into the Gulf of San Miguel. 



The Republic of Panama lies between the parallels of 7- 15' and 9-" 

 north latitude, and also between TT-^ 15' and 82^ 30' longitude west 

 from Greenwich. Approximately speaking, therefore, its extreme 

 length east and west is about 350 miles, and its extreme width north 

 and south 120 miles. Its population is not well determined, but it 

 pro))ably does not exceed 300,000. This population is largely com- 

 posed of people of Spanish descent, but there are also large numbers 

 of negroes, who have come chielly from Jamaica during the construct- 

 ing work conducted by the old Panama Company. A few Chinamen 

 have also found their way to the Isthnms and become permanent resi- 

 dents. The native Indians are also occasionallv seen on the zone of 

 population between Panama and Colon. These races have been min- 

 gled in all conceivable proportions, so that the features or racial 

 characteristics of one or more, or even all of these various national- 

 ities, may be traced in the face of a single individual. Some of the old 

 Spanish families have still retained the purity of their blood and are 

 among the prominent people of the Isthmus. Its entire area is about 

 31,600 square miles, or about the area of the State of Indiana. 



The Cordillera forming the main mountain ridge extending from 

 South to North America and constituting the continental divide run-s 

 through the entire length of the Republic of Panama, in the eastern 

 portion the divide being nu;ch nearer the Caril)bean Sea than the 

 Pacilic Ocean, while in the western portion its location is more nearly 

 central. The low notch or saddle in the Cordillera near the city of 

 Panama, with a summit elevation about 300 feet above sea level, the 

 lowest throughout the Central American Isthmus except at Nicaragua, 

 ati'ords the railroad location built upon nearly fifty 3'ears ago and the 

 reconunended route for the Isthmian ship canal. 



Not less than one-half of the entire territory of the Republic is 

 mountainous and covered with luxuriant tropical vegetation, including 

 heavy forest trees, some of which are among the highly valuable woods. 

 These forests are practically trackless. Tribes of Indians, not in large 

 numbers, live along the Caribbean coast between Panama and Darien, 

 and also on the southern slopes. Some of these Indians preserve 

 jealously their isolation, and have never acknowledged the sovereignty 

 of any government. 



rANA3IA RAILROAD. 



The most prominent feature of the Republic of Panama is the 

 Panama Railroad and the partially constructed canal, with the adjacent 

 strip of territory, including the cities and towns, with their aggregated 

 business or industrial centers, along the line from Colon to Panama. 



This railroad, a single-track line of 5 feet gauge, was built nearly 

 fiity years ago. It is but 19 miles longj and it is conducted practically 



